ANGUS ESTATES LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC212072 · ltd · incorporated 2000-10-18
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
Why now
Window steady · high confidence
Mixed signals — 6 changes over 30 days, no clear direction yet.
  • · Opportunity score: 70 → 79
  • · Hygiene score: 85 → 90
  • · Bankability: 75 → 67
  • · Refinance opportunity: no_debt → under_pressure
What changed my view
Last 30 days

Mixed signals in the last 30 days — 2 improved, 3 worsened.

  • ↑Opportunity score: 70 → 79
  • ↑Hygiene score: 85 → 90
  • ↓Bankability: 75 → 67
  • ↓Live charges: 0 → 9
  • ↓Refinance opportunity: no_debt → under_pressure
  • +1 more
Last 90 days

No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.

Last 180 days

No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.

🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Apr 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 01500
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 60-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 60). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 7 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

9 live charges · 7 lenders · oldest 25.0y

15/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 25.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 7 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: high (81/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
9 charges (9/9 with lender, 9/9 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
90 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Apr 2024Apr 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-04-302024-04-30
Average employees11001200

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

3 signals detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (42 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-01-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-01-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-01-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-01-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-02-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-04-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2020-10-08
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  8. 2020-10-07
    🔒
    Charge registered #9
    Lender: Close Leasing Limited
  9. 2020-01-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2019-01-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2018-09-13
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  12. 2018-09-13
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  13. 2018-09-13
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  14. 2018-09-13
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  15. 2018-09-13
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  16. 2018-09-13
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #8
  17. 2018-09-13
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  18. 2018-09-13
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  19. 2018-09-13
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  20. 2018-09-13
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  21. 2017-12-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  22. 2015-06-06
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #7
  23. 2014-02-13
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation PLC
  24. 2013-12-10
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: Luisa Laird
  25. 2012-05-31
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Weatherbys Bank Limited
  26. 2012-05-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: Weatherbys Bank Limited
  27. 2012-05-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Weatherbys Bank Limited
  28. 2012-05-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Angus Estates (Carnoustie) LLP
  29. 2011-07-26
    ➕
    LAIRD, Simon William David appointed
    secretary
  30. 2011-07-26
    ➖
    1924 NOMINEES LTD resigned
    corporate-secretary
  31. 2011-03-31
    ➖
    MANCLARK, James William Mckinnon resigned
    director
  32. 2010-08-12
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Firm of John P Gray and Son and Others
  33. 2010-07-05
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  34. 2001-05-31
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  35. 2001-03-01
    ➕
    LAIRD, Simon William David appointed
    director
  36. 2000-11-02
    ➕
    1924 NOMINEES LTD appointed
    corporate-secretary
  37. 2000-11-02
    ➖
    ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL & HARLEY resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  38. 2000-11-02
    ➖
    BLACK, Douglas Maclean resigned
    nominee-director
  39. 2000-11-02
    ➕
    MANCLARK, James William Mckinnon appointed
    director
  40. 2000-10-18
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ANGUS ESTATES LIMITED
  41. 2000-10-18
    ➕
    ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL & HARLEY appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  42. 2000-10-18
    ➕
    BLACK, Douglas Maclean appointed
    nominee-director

Owner dependency

93/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 25 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 60. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 25 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 26 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

1 med ·
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Simon William David Laird
Individual · British · DOB 12/1966 · age 60
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control01/05/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

🔒Co-director network graph

Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Similar companies

Active · Agriculture · DD postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
PEACEHILL FARMING LIMITED→
SC144826 · est 1993
£3.65M
£2.81M–£4.50M
£13.06M—570032y8476y
ANGUS GROWERS LIMITED→
SC234071 · est 2002
———150023y8380y
COOKSTON FARMS→
SC036246 · est 1961 · no financials extracted
————65y8373y
CRAIGOWL FARMS LTD.→
SC327648 · est 2007
———250018y8362y
CRUIVIE AND BRIGHOUSE LIMITED→
SC055296 · est 1974
———40052y8389y
ETHIEBARNS FARMING COMPANY→
SC052695 · est 1973
———110053y8371y
R. & W. WHITTON LIMITED→
SC027167 · est 1949
———476y8371y
SOILESSENTIALS LIMITED→
SC203822 · est 2000
——£1.16M—26y8365y
A & C WATSON LIMITED→
SC286270 · est 2005
———20020y8260y
A. C. BROWN (FARMS) LIMITED→
SC030970 · est 1955
———070y8281y
ANGUS GAME PLUS LIMITED→
SC255156 · est 2003
———222y8264y
ARBUCKLE SOFT FRUIT LIMITED→
SC223757 · est 2001
———20024y8273y
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
🔒Advanced scoring suite

Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2000-10-18
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC01500 — SIC 01500

Registered office

- East Memus Office
By Forfar
Angus
DD8 3TY
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2025-04-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-14
Last: 2026-04-30

Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)

LAIRD, Simon William David→
secretary · appointed 2011-07-26
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
LAIRD, Simon William David→
director · ~60y · appointed 2001-03-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
1924 NOMINEES LTD→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2000-11-02 · resigned 2011-07-26
Resigned
ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL & HARLEY→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2000-10-18 · resigned 2000-11-02
Resigned
BLACK, Douglas Maclean→
nominee-director · ~67y · appointed 2000-10-18 · resigned 2000-11-02
Resigned
MANCLARK, James William Mckinnon→
director · ~87y · appointed 2000-11-02 · resigned 2011-03-31
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

9
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:9 of 9 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Close Leasing
Close Leasing Limited
A registered charge—07/10/2020—
satisfied
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation PLC
A registered charge1 property13/02/201413/09/2018
satisfied
Luisa Laird
A registered charge1 property10/12/201306/06/2015
satisfied
Weatherbys Bank
Weatherbys Bank Limited
Standard security1 property31/05/201213/09/2018
satisfied
Weatherbys Bank
Weatherbys Bank Limited
Standard security1 property28/05/201213/09/2018
satisfied
Weatherbys Bank
Weatherbys Bank Limited
Standard security1 property28/05/201213/09/2018
outstanding
Angus Estates (Carnoustie)
Angus Estates (Carnoustie) LLP
Standard security1 property28/05/2012—
satisfied
The Firm of John P Gray and Son and Others
Standard security1 property12/08/201013/09/2018
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Floating charge1 property31/05/200105/07/2010
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (90 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-01-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-01-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-01-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-01-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-02-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-04-09
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2020-10-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-04-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-01-28